The present invention relates to office partition panels and the like, and in particular to a formed panel construction and method therefor.
Partition panels are used extensively in offices and other similar environments to divide the available building space into individual workstations. Most such partition panels have acoustic properties to absorb and attenuate sound in the workstations.
Heretofore, most partition panels have had a conventional, upholstered type of construction, wherein the exterior surfaces and edges of a rigid backing board or frame are covered with a padding and an upholstery fabric or textile. Examples of presently existing partition panel constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,831,330 and 4,144,924. In such partition panels, a sheet of padding material is typically attached to the exterior side of the frame. Upholstery fabric is then stretched across the exterior face of the padding, and is then wrapped around the marginal edges of the cover frame, and attached to the rear surface of the cover frame by suitable fasteners, such as staples, tacks, adhesives, or the like. The upholstered panels are then attached to a freestanding, main frame portion of the panel by clips, screws, or other similar fasteners.
The main frame typically includes a pair of rigid side posts, with internal reinforcing to provide a rigid freestanding structure in which the upholstered panels are received and fixedly retained. A top cap and a pair of side trim members are mounted on the frame, and cover the top and side edges of both of the upholstered panels to present a neat, flush, finished appearance.
Such conventional partition panel constructions are not particularly economical to manufacture, especially in view of their conventional upholstered design. Furthermore, since the upholstered panels have their own separate frame or substrate, they are relatively heavy, which reduces efficiencies in handling, assembly and use. Also, when directional fabric is used as a decorative surface, conventional upholstery techniques require substantial time and effort to avoid skewing the fabric pattern. The use of conventional fasteners to attach the upholstered panels to the frame also limits their adaptability, and design options.
While molded laminate constructions have been used in some non-related industries, such as for automatic headliners, trim parts, and the like, such parts are typically mounted in a marginal frame to retain their shape, and have their finished surface dispensed on the concave side of the part.